Bug Spray on Board - Thailand, and Yellow Fever Question

[gummybun]

We are off to Thailand for a few weeks, and will be doing a Similan Islands trip up to Richelieu Rock area.

Will we be using Deet while on board? We have never done a Boat trip and are unsure if the bugs will be on us while off-shore. Also, the rest of our time will be South of Phuket, so we don't need the Yellow fever shots like are recommended for the north, but the Similans are a bit North but not colored as a Risk Area on any maps that I have seen. Is a Boat Trip safe for this or are there risks even in the offshore locations?

Any experienced folks willing to comment on this? Thanks in advance.

Gummy

 

[mantajohn]

Gummy

i hope you have a great trip. I've done 6 lob's in the Far East & never had any issues with bugs nor needed any spray etc of any kind.

If you do use DEET, keep it well away from dive gear & cameras - or you will become very unpopular very quickly!

Re Yellow Fever - sorry you need a medical expert for that one.

Cheers

John

 

[Shasta_man]

respectfully, general responses is not a good place to get medical advice for serious diseases. My anecdotal response is that generally on liveaboards you stay far enough away from land for bugs to be unlikely but not completely eradicated. You also have some exposure when on land tours or when transitting to and from the boat. Bugs in these places are serious. I get any recommended vaccinations before going and try to follow guidelines about staying covered up when in areas of reported diseases. The disease is always worse than the cure.

 

[Quero]

gummybun, you won't need any insect repellant on your Similans trip unless you go ashore to climb up through the trees to the rocks (most boats offer you one opportunity to go ashore, usually at Donald Duck Bay). And there's no yellow fever in Thailand, although some travelers coming from other countries (in Africa and S. America) where the disease is present are required to present vaccination certificates. Did you mean to write 'malaria' and not 'yellow fever'? Malaria is endemic in some of the northern highlands of Thailand on the border with Burma and Lao, but there's no risk of malaria down here in southern Thailand, and the Similans is still considered southern Thailand.

 

[Scuba Cat Diving]

Agree with Quero, There are not any mosquito's on the boat as they stay away from the islands, but on the islands themselves it is jungle as well as beach so you can get them there, especially at sunset. Take repelent if you go to the viewpoints and beaches, but no need on board.

 

[gummybun]

Thanks everyone, that is of help. Shasta, I did go to my Travel Advisory, and may have mixed things up with Maleria - they were very concerned that I was not arriving via flight connections through Africa, etc, so that may have been the YF issue. My wife is seeing her specialist today so we will have more knowledge then, and from her recommendations I may have to return for some Malerone. These small Islands seemed to be outside the database of the place I visited, and as they are so small and rocky I was hoping they would be dry and insect free, as well I forgot how far North of Phuket they are.

I would rather not go on Malerone for 35 days because we are in the Similans for a few days, that stuff makes me dream the wildest things - quite spooky.

Oh well, I am sure the trip will be worth it if the doc insists...

Thanks Again!

 

[Quero]

Well, we don't have malaria here in southern Thailand either, only in the highlands far from the ocean. I've lived here for years and have never taken any prophylactics against malaria. We do have dengue, which is also mosquito-borne, but you can't take pills to prevent it. I don't believe you'll need any vaccines or precautionary meds. We're not talking about huge distances north of Phuket. The islands lie only about 100 km north.

 

[Shasta_man]

Ah yes, Malarone dreams. I put off taking it as long as possible on my last trip due exactly to that. Last experience, I woke up yelling to get out of my cabin before realizing where I was. It can be tough to get good rest when it's already stressful just getting there. Having seen what can happen though, I try to err on the side of caution.

Glad to see you have good info and Quero has provided his usual excellent on-the-spot experience.

 

[gummybun]

Yes, we are not being asked to take any Malaria as we are not going North of Phuket, and as we have all our other shots, there is nothing to add - except that nasty sip of Dukerol - which is largely out of favor (flavor too) up here, but it is free on our plan and is not an inoculation, so we will take it. As well it appears our supply of emergency Cipro' is no use any more and we have been issued a newer antibiotic. Now all I need is lots on sunscreen!